This invention relates to personal media devices and, more particularly, to integrated speaker assemblies for personal media devices.
The proliferation of compact portable personal media devices (e.g., portable MP3 players, portable video players, and media capable cellular telephones) has created a need for delivery of audio (e.g., voice and music) via more durable, reliable, and robust audio sources to users while respecting the need to minimize the overall form factor of personal media devices.
One problem with existing media devices such as cellular telephones is that the media device's acoustic source, e.g., a speaker assembly, is susceptible to external forces that can damage subassembly components such as a diaphragm, electric components, or the housing. For example, a hand-held media device may be dropped by a user. An impact, even from a relatively short distance, could result in structural damage to a speaker assembly mounted on an internal printed circuit board (PCB) or mounted to the housing of the media device. Additionally, a gasket that provides a seal between the speaker assembly and device housing could buckle or become deformed due to the impact, resulting in reduced acoustic coupling from the acoustic source to the external aperture of the device. Accordingly, there is a need for mounting an acoustic source, such as a speaker assembly, in such a way as to reduce the susceptibility of the source to physical stress resulting from, for example, a physical impact on the device or “drop shock.”
Another problem with existing media devices is that the structural rigidity of the acoustic source or its surrounding components or materials may not be sufficient to adequately mitigate the effects of vibrations. For example, vibrations induced from another acoustic source, a user, an alarm, or another vibration source could adversely affect, introduce interference, or reduce the acoustic coupling from an acoustic source to the external aperture of the media device. Accordingly, there is a need for enhanced structural rigidity of the acoustic source or its surrounding materials to enable the acoustic source to more efficiently couple audio to the external housing aperture of a media device while mitigating the effects of vibration or other interference.